12 Predictions for the ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7 Finale ‘The Dragon and the Wolf’

Well that happened quickly. It feels like just the other day we were making predictions for what kind of bloody, shocking shenanigans would go down in Game of Thrones Season 7. The season finale is just days away, and we’re here to make another set of predictions for “The Dragon and the Wolf.”

Okay, to be totally honest our first set of predictions didn’t turn out to be all that accurate (yet!), but four out of 12 so far ain’t terrible. But after the six previous episodes, ScreenCrush editors E. Oliver Whitney and Kevin Fitzpatrick have some ideas for where Game of Thrones will leave us before the final seven. Who will die? What sort of major game-changing info will be revealed (*cough* Jon’s dad)? And will the incest boat sex finally go down? Read on to find out, but beware of SPOILERSfor the first six episodes of Season 7.

1. Littlefinger Gonna Get GoT

HBO

If there’s any one plotline to Game of Thrones Season 7 that needs a strong finish to justify itself, it’d be Littlefinger’s machinations with Arya and Sansa. Dude’s been lingering way past his relevance to the story since Season 6, and if Jon Snow succeeds in pivoting the show’s focus to all-out conflict with The Night King, there’s precisely zero room for whatever convoluted scheme Lord Baelish has to ascend the ladder.

Not only that, but I’d like to think Arya and Sansa have made such a public show of their feud to lure Littlefinger into a false sense of security (ditto for master assassin Arya unaware of a mustachioed Irishman lurking behind her), hopefully to prove the Stark siblings can’t be so easily divided. Game of Thrones is all about burning off extraneous stories in the final seasons (RIP Lady Olenna), and Littlefinger likely has the biggest target on his back/neck.

2. Jon’s History Will Finally Be Confirmed

HBO

We may not know exactly what will go down in the 79 minutes and 43 seconds of Sunday’s finale, but if one thing is practically certain it’s that we’ll finally get confirmation of Jon’s parentage. Season 6 ended with the Tower of Joy reveal that showed baby Jon in Lyanna Stark’s arms, making the Season 7 finale a fitting place to drop the daddy bomb. And it’s not like it hasn’t been foreshadowed. Jon’s non-Starkness and questionable heritage has been a running meta gag all season line. See here, and here, and here, oh and here. The showrunners have been priming us for this reveal all season. Gilly didn’t read a passage about Rhaegar Targaryen’s annulment and second marriage to a mystery woman for no reason. So how will it happen?

While Sam and Gilly might be sitting on a pile of major information inside scrolls and books, it’s unlikely definitive proof that Rhaegar and Lyanna doing it was recorded in writing. If anything, Gilly’s discovery will be the evidence used to prove Jon’s legitimacy (and maybe we’ll eventually get insight on the whole “kidnapping” matter). But it seems most likely that Bran will be the one to reveal Jon’s father, since no one else that we know of has access to that information. Bran told his sisters he had something important to talk to Jon about early this season, and simply saying, “Hey dude I know who your dad is” would be fairly underwhelming TV drama. So my best guess? We’ll get a flashback revealing young Lyanna and Prince Rhaegar. Showing the Stark and Targaryen couple would also be a fitting nod to the episode title, “The Dragon and the Wolf.”

3. Jon and Dany Will Rock the Boat

HBO

I know we’re all collectively rooting for Brienne and Tormund, but Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen spilling ice and fire all over each other is probably about as pre-ordained as they come. Season 7 hasn’t lingered too harshly on the whole “Jon is probably her nephew” thing, but even if Sunday’s finale hammers home that point for good, the boatside hand-holding this past week was about as much indication as we’ll ever need that these two are finally going to get down. Heck, even “Beyond the Wall” director Alan Taylor basically spelled it out in interviews, but the real question remains if Jon or Dany will ever learn of their mutual heritage, and if they’ll care when they do. That, and whether said copulation takes place on a boat. The internet is very particular on this point.

4. A Bowl of Sorts, Perhaps of the Hyped Variety

“Cleganebowl” might be the longest-surviving meme on this list, but the prospect is certainly closer than ever with the Season 7 trailer pointing toward a Hound-like figure drawing a sword in the same Dragonpit location we’ve now seen in photos and the trailer. It stands to reason that Sandor Clegane could at least recognize his armored, necrotic brother standing motionless behind Cersei, but does “The Dragon and the Wolf” actually have time for a full-fledged fan-baiting Cleganebowl?

My gut says no, as even with a 79-minute runtime, it’s difficult to imagine the narrative suddenly pausing for a final showdown between the Cleganes. I’ll grant that last week’s zombie dragon put a cherry on the fan-service sundae that is Seasons 6 and 7, but Sunday’s finale may only add to our collective “#GetHype,” rather than sate it.

5. The Wall Will Come Down

HBO

Only a couple of our initial Season 7 predictions made it onto this finale list, and the demise of The Wall is one of them. At first we guessed the 700-foot wall of ice would come crashing down in the season premiere, expecting Bran’s crossing to trigger a collapse caused by The Night King’s magic curse. Apparently that has no effect on The Wall, but as “Beyond the Wall” showed us last week, the army of the undead is mighty close to that wall. If Gendry could sprint back to Eastwatch that quickly, we’ve gotta assume The Night King will make it there any moment now.

Now the show could introduce any number of reasons for The Wall’s collapse. In the books the magical Horn of Winter is believed to have the power to bring down The Wall, and while we’ve never seen it in the show, fans have speculated that it could have been the horn Sam and his Brothers dug up in Season 2. But another likelihood is the fact that The Night King now has his very own ice/wight dragon. Wouldn’t Viserion bringing down The Wall be a spectacular sight to end the season on?

6. Tyrion and Dany Will Hit Their Breaking Point

Game of Thrones has reached that point in its lifespan where major characters no longer expire at the drop of a hat, but rather at the beginning or end of a season. All the same, the show’s currency is more rooted in emotion, so we’d bet on some major fallings-out before the death of beloved players like Tyrion, Daenerys or Jon Snow. Might Tyrion’s position as Hand of the Queen be the one to get the axe?

All season long we’ve seen division brewing between the pair, as Tyrion grows increasingly uncomfortable with inflicting too many casualties in Daenerys’ conquest; in particular among his family. The two briefly discussed the matter before Dany flew off to save her new boytoy, but when Tyrion comes face-to-face with Cersei and Jaime, we’d bet Daenerys will start to lose that famous temper at her Hand’s conflict-of-interest. It’s tough to imagine Tyrion finding a new place with only seven episodes remaining, but his and Daenerys’ increasingly disparate views are bound to come to a head.

7. One of the Greyjoys Is Gonna Die

HBO

Where the heck has Yara been? We haven’t seen her (or Euron, for that matter) since Episode 3 when the villainous Jack Sparrow-knock-off paraded Ellaria Sand through the streets of King’s Landing. Yara was there too, dragged behind Euron’s horse on a leash. We’ve been wondering why the King of the Iron Islands has kept Yara around since delivering his gift to Cersei. I can’t imagine that Yara will have much of a role in Season 8, unless there’s some wild turn of events, so it’s likely the show has been holding out for a climactic finale death scene — because there really isn’t enough sadistic violence against women on this show.

That leaves another Greyjoy sibling to consider. Theon’s been hanging out at Dragonstone since arriving a few weeks ago to an uncomfortable reunion with Jon. The finale photos show him standing on the shores of Daenerys’ homeland, suggesting he won’t travel to King’s Landing with Jon and the rest of the gang. But there is a shot of him dramatically falling to his knees on the shore. Could he be learning bad news regarding his sister? Or will he finally head to King’s Landing and actually make himself useful? He’s overdue for a redemption moment and I’d love to see him share one last scene with Yara, perhaps an attempt to save her that could end with him (or them both) dead.

8. The Golden Company Arrives

First, a minor history lesson: The “Golden Company” are a collective of sellswords with notoriously strong allegiance, and otherwise deadly prowess. Davos mentioned to Stannis in Season 4 that they’d “never broken a contract,” and Jorah Mormont even supposedly fought for them before joining Viserys and Daenerys in Season 1.

Their name has come up several times in Season 7, as Cersei suggested the possibility of bolstering their forces with newfound Tyrell riches, especially after Drogon decimated their men and supplies at the “Loot Train Battle.” It’s safe to assume that Season 7 wouldn’t make a habit of mentioning the group unless they served some larger purpose, and it’s possible Cersei might use them to lay a trap for her new King’s Landing guests. If we don’t actually see them, it might mean the finale sets them up for a larger role in the eighth and final season.

9. Cersei Doesn’t Give a Fig About White Walkers

HBO

When last we saw Cersei, she was open to hosting the Dragon Queen and her other enemies, as an apparent pregnancy shifted her priorities to a more Tywin-esque political war. The sight of an honest-to-goodness wight isn’t about to convince her to drop everything, however (especially with her own personal Wight following her every step), so Sunday’s finale might be the first play in a longer game.

Even if Cersei agrees to join Jon Snow’s war against the dead, you can bet there will be some ulterior motive, or perhaps an outright lie to buy time. Let’s face it — until someone removes Cersei from her throne (or perhaps her mortal coil), there’s no way she’s about to cooperate with her enemies, undead or otherwise. And who knows? Maybe she’ll just play the wildfire card again. It worked like gangbusters last time!

10. Cersei Will Alienate Jaime

HBO

Things have been tense between the Lannister sibling lovers this season. After going behind Cersei’s back to meet up with Tyrion, the Queen made sure to exercise her usual manipulation tactics. We’re still not entirely sure how Cersei’s pregnancy will play out, but real or fake, Cersei used that baby to twist Jaime back around her finger. The poor dude is petrified of her, especially after her threatening remark to never betray her again. Even a quick peek at the finale photos show the growing animosity between the Lannister siblings, with Jaime looking at his sister with a series of disgruntled expressions. Though earlier this season I predicted Jaime will be the one to kill Cersei, I can’t see the show wiping out the Lannister Queen in one fell swoop next week; that would make things far too simple going into Season 8. So while it’s hard to guess what exactly will go down, I can bet something will burst between these two, and Tyrion showing up with Daenerys is definitely going to add to that tension.

11. Briemund Love Is In the Air

HBO

One of the biggest joys of the past two seasons has been the brewing flirtation between Tormund and Brienne. It was love at first sight when the Wildling met the blonde knight at The Wall last year, and all season long he’s been shooting dreamy glances her way. This season has spent too much time not to give these two another moment together. We spotted Brienne at King’s Landing in “The Wolf and the Lion” trailer, and while Tormund was nowhere to be seen in footage or photos, one can only assume he’s around, unless… *gulp* (see below). But after he confessed his love for her to The Hound last week, it only seems certain the two will share one last moment this season. Give us Briemund the Tarth Bane, already!

12. A Beloved Supporting Character (Or Two) Will Die

HBO

As thrilled as I am to see less casualties on Game of Thrones this season, the lack of upsetting deaths has got me real worried. Lady Olenna and the Sand Snakes were the biggest deaths of the season, and somehow everyone north of The Wall last week (minus Viserion and Thoros) escaped the White Walkers unscathed. Which means heads are gonna roll this Sunday. We’ve already predicted Littlefinger is on the chopping block, but who else? Dan Weiss and David Benioff will surely gut us with at least one or two brutal deaths of beloved second or third tier characters.

My best bet is Grey Worm, who’s already had his triumphant, beloved character moment this year in a touching love scene with Missandei. We know he’ll arrive outside King’s Landing with the Unsullied, and if things get messy he’ll likely go out fighting. Bronn is another possibility, someone we know Cersei is pissed with over letting Tyrion sneak into King’s Landing. I wouldn’t be shocked if Cersei tries to have him killed in some fashion to spite Jaime.

Another name that’s been popping up on death watch lists is Tormund. I know, I know, I don’t wanna lose the red head either, but it seems like his time may be up. He’s had a stellar season of both heroic moments and hilarious asides (which is often GoT foreshadowing imminent death). It was honestly surprising he didn’t get axed in the battle against the wights after being so heavily featured throughout the episode. But let’s at least hope he gets to confess his love to Brienne before anything happens.